REVITALIZATION OF URBAN VOIDS AND LANDSCAPING OF MULTI-MODAL CORRIDORS IN CHENNAI, INDIA

Back to Page Authors: Geeva Chandana Balasubramanian

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Keywords: urban development, water bodies, urban wastelands, revitalization, adaptive reuse, landscape architecture

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Abstract: Chennai's infrastructure development has been developed to a great extent with expressways, metro, MRTS corridor, flyovers and grade separators. But often the space adjacent or below these infrastructural developments are often unplanned and underutilized. These projects not only pose a threat to the safety and surveillance but also to the environment as the projects are established on the natural systems. One such project is the existing MRTS corridor and the IT expressway running parallel to it. This transit corridor has greater impact on the environment as the corridor has been laid encroaching one of Chennai’s major water system, The Buckingham Canal, which was used for inland transport and stormwater carriage system during the British Period. The IT expressway which is home to major Information Technology establishments, offices, universities of the State. This expressway runs parallel to the MRTS corridor forming a multi-modal transit corridor. The IT expressway is one of the city's wider road network. And used by millions of people every day. But it is not efficiently planned as the MRTS corridor and encroached Buckingham canal destroys its aesthetics. Having garbage disposals, sewerage running along the corridor, there are slum settlements which constantly pollutes the canal and encroaches it. The huge MRTS stations and the flyover which is underutilized, frames a negative impact on the view of the corridor. As this corridor is also next to a residential neighborhood which lacks parks and recreational facilities, there is an utmost importance to revitalize these underutilized spaces and make it useful for the public and the residents.

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